


Brand New Shoes or How Reid Learned The Correct Pronunciation of Fuchsia

by blythechild



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Birthday Presents, Challenge Response, Clothing, Dare, F/M, First Kiss, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Male-Female Friendship, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-13
Updated: 2012-02-13
Packaged: 2017-10-31 03:29:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/339380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blythechild/pseuds/blythechild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Garcia buys Reid new shoes for his birthday, but he objects to the colour. Garcia suggests a compromise with the help of Prentiss.</p><p>This was a picfor1000 challenge response from 2011. The picture prompt was a Chuck Taylor hightop sneaker, and the challenge was to write a fic based on it that was exactly 1000 words. This is a work of fanfiction and as such I do not claim ownership over the characters herein. It was created as a personal entertainment. It is suitable for all audiences.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brand New Shoes or How Reid Learned The Correct Pronunciation of Fuchsia

**Author's Note:**

> No warnings - this is just fluff.

There was a moratorium on celebrating Reid’s birthday. It was instituted by Reid himself, and, surprisingly adhered to by his co-workers who had a tendency to dismiss his wishes in favor of what they decided was in his best interests. But Garcia was immune to such decisions. The woman who had created a day-glow nirvana in the heart of the most stalwart example of bureaucratic décor, she who never met an improbable colour pairing that she couldn’t pull off and with eye glass frames to match, the femme fatale of their digital lives who kept them in timely data, candy and toys - _she_ would not be denied her fun. So, it came as little surprise to Reid when, as he was packing up for the day that he treated as any other, a brightly coloured box landed on his desk courtesy of the irrepressible Penelope Garcia.

“Garcia, we had a deal…” he mumbled while staring at the box like it was a bomb.

“Correction, Boy Wonder,” she giggled, “You made a suggestion to the team. A suggestion that I declined to accept. I’m not afraid of your wrath…”

Prentiss, working late as usual, popped her head over the partition between their desks.

“Oooohhhh! A present! You rock, Garcia - I knew that you wouldn’t let us down.”

The women high-fived their circumvention of Reid’s Law and flooded the empty BAU office space with giddy delight. Reid took in the display with a bemused expression that he used to cover up the confusion he often felt at uncharacteristic emotions from the opposite sex. Garcia he knew to be whimsical and fun loving, but Prentiss’ fun side always threw him for a loop, and he thought that he knew her fairly well.

“The anniversary of your appearance in the world is something to be celebrated, Reid. You can’t convince me otherwise, so just accept it, kiddo.”

Reid shook his head and let a smile creep across his face. Garcia was undeniable.

“I’m 30 years old. Do you think that there will come a time when you guys stop referring to me as ‘kid’?”

Prentiss made a ‘yeah, right’ noise. “You’d better work on Morgan first, if you expect that to ever happen. He’s been calling you ‘kid’ since day 1.”

Reid looked about to argue when Prentiss cut him off.

“Open it, already Reid!”

He tore at the paper and opened the box lid to reveal a new pair of Chuck Taylor high-tops. Pink ones. He looked down at the khaki pair that he was currently wearing and wondered if they looked worn out.

“Oh, thank you.” He hoped that it sounded genuine.

“Try ‘em on!” Garcia squealed.

“Well… I…” The women were almost bouncing with anticipation. “Garcia, they’re pink.”

“They are not pink, Reid. They are _fuchsia_.” Garcia infused the word an air of unexplained mystery while gesticulating with ‘jazz hands’. Prentiss nodded in agreement. Reid remained confused.

“Well, isn’t fuchsia…”

“Say it with the fingers, honey, go on…”

Reid wiggled his long fingers. “Isn’t _fuchsia_ considered a female colour?”

“No!” Both women answered at once.

“Listen, Junior Genius, I love your style. It says unique, it says accept me as I am, it says undercover rebel. Old man sweaters, inner city kicks, and all of that purple and brown? You’re a clotheshorse after my own heart.” Garcia enthused. “These _are_ you, - you just don’t know it yet. Believe me; in Penelope you must trust.”

“I’d pay attention to a man who could confidently wear those shoes.” Prentiss smiled at him. He didn’t think he had ever seen that smile before.

“Yeah.” Garcia paused. “Hey! That’s it! I’ll make you a deal, Reid: if you promise to wear the shoes for a whole day, Emily will kiss you. Whaddaya think, Em?”

Perhaps for the first time in his life, Reid’s mind went blank.

“Sure.” Prentiss shrugged and smiled like she was agreeing to a manicure.

“Let’s say no less than 5 seconds. Open mouthed, but I don’t think that tongue has to come into this, do you?” Garcia said.

“Well, we are at work, after all. Best to keep a semblance of decorum.” Prentiss averred.

His mind re-booted itself quickly. “Don’t I get a say in this?”

“No.” The women said in unison.

“What makes you think I’ll do this?”

“Because you consider yourself a gentleman from a lost era.” Prentiss said quietly. “If you refuse, you stand the risk of insulting me and hurting Penelope’s feelings by refusing her gift. You value your emotional connections to the team – people who accept you for exactly who you are – too much to risk damaging those ties, no matter how slight it might be. So, we’ve got you.”

“I thought profiling co-workers was off limits.” Reid found himself smiling at her.

“C’mon, Reid, quit stalling. Put ‘em on.” Garcia was undeniable.

He put on the shoes. They fit well, he admitted. He looked Prentiss in the eye – no, Emily - stood and walked over to her. 

“I haven’t been a kid for a long time.” He murmured just before he wrapped his hand around her back and drew her into him.

The kiss wasn’t the perfunctory liplock everyone expected, but soft and tender. When Reid brushed his hand along Prentiss’ cheek and opened his mouth a fraction more, she moved with him. He ended it and pulled away but not without leaving a second peck on her lower lip, like a signature.

There was a stunned pause. 

“I think that there might have been some tongue there…” Garcia breathed.

Prentiss just stared at Reid. He smiled with a certain satisfaction that he didn’t get to feel all that often. He turned away from a pretty woman that he had left flushed and wordless, and nodded to another who was equally perplexed.

“Thanks for the shoes, Garcia.” He winked at her. “I guess they are ‘me’ after all.”


End file.
